T/TAC - Training and Technical Assistance Center at the College of William and Mary

Family Partnerships
(formerly Parent Partnership)

Getting Your Child Ready for Testing

By Louise Smith, M.Ed., and Tina Spencer, M.S.
May/June 2005

Parent involvement in student learning is a key component of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004. A powerful context for student growth and achievement results when parents make meaning from “everyday activities” outside of school. Linking school learning with life experiences prepares students for high-stakes testing. The Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) are described as “statements of knowledge and skills that every child is expected to learn and use in solving day-to-day problems and to be productive citizens” (Virginia Department of Education [VDOE], 2001, p. 3).

Everyday events offer parents fresh opportunities to develop their child’s knowledge and skills. For example, grocery shopping, cooking, and keeping a diary or journal are opportunities for children to practice new skills. Conversations parents hold with their children during these activities help children to apply their new learning to problem solving. Other occasions for parents to reinforce what their children have learned in school include helping with homework or studying for quizzes and tests, checking agenda books, and working on projects.

Listed below are tips parents can use to help their children perform better during tests.

• Make sure your child is attending school daily so that he or she can learn the content needed to do well on tests.
• Make sure your child understands the value that you place on achievement by encouraging good study habits.
• Have frequent contact with your child’s teacher(s).
• Become familiar with your child’s grade-level curriculum.
• Let your child see that you read, and be sure that he or she reads nightly.
• Make the public library a part of your weekly routine.
• Support your child’s school reading programs (e.g., sign monthly reading charts).
• Review math facts weekly.
• Help your child with study guides that teachers provide in the content areas.
• Visit historical places and museums in your area.
• Provide a balance of recreational time and study time.
• Encourage, praise, and support your child.
• Keep your child prepared throughout the week of high-stakes testing by:
  • Making sure your child gets enough sleep each night,
  • Making sure your child eats a good breakfast each morning of testing,
  • Encouraging your child to stay relaxed and calm during the SOL testing week,
  • Making sure your child is in school on time during the testing period so that he or she won’t feel rushed, and
  • Reminding your child to bring his or her glasses to school on all testing days, if appropriate.

(Jensen, 1997; National Parent Teacher Association, 2000; VDOE, 2001)

The Virginia Department of Education offers an online publication entitled Every Child Can Succeed … A Parent’s Guide to Virginia Standards of Learning Program (2001) developed to educate parents on Virginia’s Standards of Learning statewide assessment program. This resource guide includes:

• Rationale for Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL)
• Explanation of the SOL program
• Answers to questions related to scoring
• Content knowledge students need to learn by grade level
• Sample questions by grade level
• Virginia diploma options
• Tips on how parents can support their children throughout the school year
• Answers to parents’ most frequently asked questions

References
Jensen, E. (1997). Brain compatible strategies. San Diego, CA: The Brain Store, Inc.

National Parent Teacher Association. (2000). Building successful partnerships: A guide for developing parent and family involvement programs. Bloomington, IN: National Educational Service.

Virginia Department of Education. (2001). Every child can succeed … A parent’s guide to Virginia standards of learning. Retrieved February 28, 2005, from http://www.pen.k12.va.us/VDOE/Parents/parentshandbook.pdf

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